The next phase of AI will bring us more personal AI assistant experiences than we’ve had before. The writing is already on the wall, and we’re just waiting for the execution. Google has Gemini Live, and we saw a slew of Project Astra features that are in development. Then there’s the smarter Siri experience in Apple Intelligence, which Apple delayed, but it’s coming nonetheless.
OpenAI is working on a ChatGPT super-assistant of its own that should be available on the dedicated ChatGPT io hardware as well as on mobile devices.
These won’t be the only personal AI experiences in town, since other AI firms will aim to offer similar companions.
One of them is Samsung, which has its own powerful suite of AI features for mobile devices. Called Galaxy AI, it’s a mix of Samsung’s own AI tech and several partnerships the Korean giant has inked with others. Google is the main one, as Galaxy phones come with several Google AI features, including Circle to Search and Gemini Live.
Samsung doesn’t have a personal AI assistant of its own, though it has hinted in the past that it plans to develop such experiences for Bixby.
It turns out that Samsung’s massive partnership with Google and its internal AI development plans aren’t the only things the company is considering. Samsung is reportedly looking to ink a big AI deal with Perplexity, which would turn the latter into the default AI assistant on future Galaxy phones, starting with the Galaxy S26 series launching next January.
What is Perplexity?
According to Bloomberg, Samsung and Perplexity are nearing a wide-ranging deal to put Perplexity front and center on its Galaxy AI devices.
If you’ve been using AI products in the past few years, you’ve likely come across Perplexity at least once. The app offers users a good alternative to Google Search by providing AI-powered answers to questions.
Perplexity partners with various AI companies for some of its features, including OpenAI and Anthropic. That said, its offerings aren’t necessarily a match for Google’s Gemini, at least not yet.
Perplexity might get better in the future, and Samsung’s resources could help. Samsung will reportedly invest $500 million in the startup at a $14 billion valuation.
Before Bixby and its Perplexity-powered upgrade can match what Gemini Live can do on Android phones, Galaxy AI users might get simpler features, like access to the Perplexity app on phones such as the Galaxy S26 series. Perplexity search features could also be built into Samsung’s browser.
Some of these early Perplexity integrations might be announced as soon as the second half of 2025. Samsung will unveil its foldable phones later this year, and Perplexity might become the default AI assistant on Samsung phones starting with the Galaxy S26 series next year.
Samsung wouldn’t be the first company to build Perplexity features into its phones. Motorola already did it with some of its devices. The report also notes that Apple has discussed using Perplexity as an alternative to Google Search. One possibility is bringing Perplexity to Siri, similar to what Apple has done with ChatGPT. On that note, Gemini is also expected to be available via Siri next year.
Why not stick with Gemini Live?
While my go-to AI chatbot is ChatGPT, I’m a fan of what Google has achieved with Gemini so far. The Gemini Live (Project Astra) demos at I/O 2025 blew my mind, showing what an AI-powered assistant might do on phones in the not-too-distant future.
I’ll also point out that Google and Samsung have a massive partnership. They’re working together on wearables, and the Android XR platform largely depends on both companies. Google created the software experience, while Samsung will deliver some of the hardware, including the only Vision Pro rival powered by Android.
You’d think Samsung would embrace Gemini Live, at least until Bixby can offer similar features. I also think Gemini might provide a better experience than Perplexity, and many Android users could prefer it over a competitor.
Samsung might want to reduce its reliance on Google software, especially in a world where it could lose whatever deals it has with Google for default online search placement. As a reminder, Google operates an online search monopoly, and it will need to address that. Some of its deals with Apple and Samsung could disappear.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about a Samsung-Perplexity deal, since neither party has confirmed it. But I’ll say there’s at least one reason to worry about Perplexity. The AI firm eventually plans to track users online to offer better results and then monetize that. That’s definitely not the kind of personal AI experience I’d choose for my devices. Then again, any tracking Perplexity might do in its apps might not necessarily translate to Samsung’s Perplexity integrations.
Google does plenty of user tracking too, but at least we know what we’re dealing with there.
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